CHARSADDA, Feb 10: Traders pulled down shutters on Friday to protest against the killing of two brothers who were shot dead by bandits when they resisted a robbery attempt at their shop in Shabqadar bazaar last week.

They were joined by a large number of local people, who pelted stones at the Shabqadar police station and chanted slogans against the government and the police for failing to provide security to the people.

A head constable was injured and a police van was damaged during the stone pelting. The police resorted to intense tear gas shelling to disperse the protesters.

The protest demonstration turned into a huge public meeting at the Bacha Khan Chowk in Shabqadar town. The meeting was addressed by local politicians and traders' representatives.

The speakers alleged the SHO of Shabqadar police station was patronising criminals and outlaws and was involved in criminal activities. They said the SHO was hand in glove with car-lifters and kidnappers.

Meanwhile, MPA Mohammad Ali Khan Mohmand demanded immediate arrest of the killers. He said the case of the incident registered in the Shabqadar police station was wrong and it should be converted into a robbery attempt. He said the administration should refrain from registering cases against the protesters.According to information received late in the evening, the SHO Janzada was transferred from Shabqadar and was asked to report to the police lines. RALLY:

Students of various seminaries and ulema held a joint rally in Peshawar on Friday against the police for raiding a medressah (Jamia Zubairia) in Yakatoot and arresting students a few days ago.

The rally was led by leaders of Jamiat Itehadul Ulema (JIU) district Peshawar, and Jamaat-i-Islami, who marched from Kohati Chowk to Yakatoot police station. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with words of condemnation and also shouted anti-police and anti-government slogans.

Talking to media persons the infuriated protesters said the federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had ordered the raid in order to show loyalties to the United States.

They asked the government to avoid raids on seminaries, and termed the arrest of students and teachers intolerable.

They also demanded of the government to immediately release all the students, otherwise they would launch a protest campaign.